Opening means for handbags



Feb. 4, 1958 GOLD OPENING MEANS FOR HANDBAGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1956 INVENTOR. ABRAHAM GOLD ATTORNEY Feb. 4, 1958 A. GOLD OPENING MEANS FOR HANDBAGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1956 INVENTOR. A ABRAHAM GOLD United States Patent This invention relates generally to ladies handbags and the likewand, more particularly, to new and useful improvements in means for opening such handbags.

Ladies handbags ordinarily comprise a receptacle made of flexible or pliable material such as leather, fabric or the likewith a mouth opening formed by spring-pressed hinged frame sections which will yieldingly lock the mouth opening in a closed or in a bowed open position. While it is comparatively easy to close the frame sections when they are in outwardly bowed open position, it is considerably more difficult to move the frame sections into open position because in the closing operation a pressure is exerted on the frame sections, whereas in the opening operation a pull must be exerted on the frame sections. Since the sections are biased to closed position and such bias is preferably considerable, and since the frame sections closely hug each other, there is quite a powerful resistance exerted against the outward opening movement of the frame sections. Furthermore, small variations in size or arrangement of the members of the frame, varying thicknesses of fabrics that may be employed, and other factors may quite considerably vary the force exerted for opening the frame sections.

According to the present invention provision has been made for overcoming the defects mentioned and to produce means for readily opening the frame sections with a high degree of uniformity and efficiency.

An object of the present invention is to provide a very simple operation for opening the handbag such as by merely pulling on the opposite sides thereof.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a handbag embodying one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top perspective view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a top perspective view with the handbag in open condition.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating the handbag in open position, with parts about its mouth opening broken away.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of one end of the frame.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in Fig. 1 a bag is shown having a substantially rectangular-shaped body 15, of relatively narrow width, formed of suitable flexible handbag covering material such as leather, textile fabric or the like. The body is provided with a mouth opening 16 straight along the top thereof. Such mouth opening is defined by an articular frame including a pair of metal plates 17 and 18, at each end of the body, the proximate ends of the plates being hingedly connected. The free ends of the plates 17 on one side of the body are connected by a side spring metal plate 19, and the free ends of plates 18 on the other side of the body are connected by a similar plate 20. The plates 19 and 20 are preferably of flexible ribbon-like stock, although they may have some stiffness, extending along the lips of the mouth opening midway the length thereof.

The hinged connection between the frame plates 17 and 18 is herein shown as consisting of knuckles or looped portions 21 on plate'17 coacting with similar knuckles or looped portions 22 on plate 18, said looped portions being aligned to accommodate a hinge pin 23. The plate 17 is formed with a protruding lug 23 positioned between its looped portions 21 adapted to ride over a similar headed lug 24 on plate 18 between its looped portions 22, during the opening movement of the plate members and is subsequently adapted to coact with the lug 24 for yieldingly holding the frame plates in extreme open position.

The frame plates are covered at each side of the body by a strip 25 of the same material as the body, said strip being stitched to the body along upper and lower lines of stitching 26 and 27, respectively, leaving the hinged connections between the plates 17 and 18 exposed.

The frame plates 17 and 18 and the spring connecting plates 19 and 20 in normal or mouth closing condition are juxtaposed. According to the present invention means is provided for facilitating moving of said plates to extreme mouth opening position. Such means comprises finger grasping portions 28 and 29 on the top edge of the material of the body and on the top edge of the material of the strips 25, on opposite sides of the mouth opening. This is accomplished by enlarging or extending the material at points between the free ends of the metal plates 17 and 18 on one side of midlength of the mouth opening so that there is a finger grasping portion at either side of said midlength.

By reason of this construction, the finger grasping portion 28 may be grasped by the thumb and index finger of the left hand, for example, and the finger grasping portion 29 grasped by the thumb and index finger of the right hand, without interference, and the finger grasping portions pulled in opposite directions, the pressure in one direction being exerted upon the hinged and connecting plates on one side of the bag body, and the pressure in the other direction being exerted on the hinged and connecting plates on the opposite side of the body whereby positive pressure is exerted, without any lost motion. During this opening operation, the spring connecting plates 19 and 20 come into action and snap the frame plates on either side to extreme open position as shown in Fig. 5. By reason of the positioning of the finger grasping portions between the free ends of the frame plates on the sides of the bag body, greater leverage is afforded for moving the frame plates to open position.

In the extreme open position of the frame members, the tendency of such frame members to return to closed position has been overcome to such an extent that the lugs 23 on frame plates 17 also act as impositive latches to prevent accidental closing of the frame members. However, upon application of pressure to the frame members tending to return them to closed position, the lugs 23 ride up on the normal surfaces of the frame plates 18 to permit closure of the bag. In closing, pressure is preferably applied to the frame members preferably in proximity to the hinged joints thereof.

The modification of the invention shown in Fig. 9 differs from the form of invention shown in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, in that inverted U-shaped handles 30 and 31 are .st tqhqs t9. ,tl 92th? be b ya ia n h t p, on either side of the rnid length of the mouth opening, in place of the finger grasping portions 28 and 29. By

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Qentire length along the-,top thereof, an articulated metal closure device along said ,rnouth opening, said device including a pair ofelongated rigid plates extending inr wardly from each end ofv the body, the plates of each pair-extending along opposite lips of the mouthopening,

; be made withinthe ,scope of, the, invention as defined in the appended claim.

, I Having ,t hus described ,my-inventiom what Lclaim, as

;new, and- ;desire to seeure by United States Letters'Patcut is: A,h d v-so s ruqt o com n a ic q tangular-shaped hollowbody of flexible handbag covering leather or the. likehaying, a ;mouth opening for its and beinghinged to each other at the respective end of the body, the plates of each pair terminating short of the center, of the body, the free ends of the plates on each lip ofthe mouth opening being connected by-a spring metal plate extending across the center of the body the rigid and spring plates on one lip of the mouth opening being covered by strips of leather, the material of said strips at one side of the center of the body being enlarged forming a protruding edge portion thereat, the rigid and spring plates on the other lip of the mouth opening being covered by strips of leather, the material of said latter strips at the other side ofthecenter of the body being enlarged; forming a; protruding edge;por tion-. thereat, said protruding edge portions being oifset from each other to facilitate grasping by the fingers ofthe user for pulling the covered plates apart in order to open the rnouth of the handbag.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,008,314 Russell July 16, 1935 512,084,757 Alter "a June 2211937 2,142,764 Kluger Jan. 3,- 1939 2,142,904 ,Lamarthe Jan. :3, 1939 ;2-,158,955 Blacher ...May 16,1939 3 2,255,598 1 Lamarthe ;-Sept. 9,.c194l ,2;5 2 9;878 'Lamarthe Nov. 14, 1950 

